A Practical Introduction to Phonetics [Paperback]

Now in a new edition, this unique interactive introduction to the study of phonetics shows students how to examine the entire range of human sounds through a series of 124 introspective experiments carried out in their own vocal tracts. It systematically covers all types of speech modification (breath, voice, whisper, creak), articulation (the ways in which the air stream is finally modulated to generate specific types of sound), and prosodic features (stress, syllable, tone, intonation). This text also includes a chapter on sound systems--the ways in which particular languages utilize and systematize the universal sound-producing potential of humans. By actually articulating sounds and attending to the motor sensations they produce, readers acquire a deep, personal awareness of the principles of phonetic analysis and classification.This second edition ofA Practical Introduction to Phoneticsfeatures a new format and text design; updated use of phonetic symbols in line with the latest International Phonetic Alphabet Chart (1996); a revised further reading section that includes recent publications; and additional references to several important new publications. Informed throughout by recent research in aerodynamics and acoustics, this highly practical text is ideal for courses in introduction to phonetics and will be of interest to a wide range of students and teachers of languages, linguistics, speech therapy, and anthropology.1. Introduction2. Basic components of speech3. Phonation: A third basic component4. Articulation: Stricture types5. Articulation: Locations6. Co-articulation and sequences7. Vowels: Introduction8. The cardinal vowels9. Prosodic features10. Sound systems of languages11. ReviewFor further readingReferencesAppendix: The International Phonetic AlphabetIndexJ. C. Catford is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of Michigan. [A]n introduction to general phonetics that integrates the articulatory and the acoustic aspects of thelÃ?